GMPV
Geochemistry, Mineralogy, Petrology & Volcanology

Minerals

The strangest rock you’ve probably never heard of

The strangest rock you’ve probably never heard of

In this blog I’m going to talk a bit about one of my favourite rocks – the strangest rock you’ve probably never heard of – listvenite. Listvenite (sometimes spelt listwanite or listwaenite) is the product of a chemical reaction between peridotite and carbon dioxide, and it is truly strange! I first came across listvenites working on the Semail Ophiolite, Oman, during my PhD. The Semail Ophiolite i ...[Read More]

EGU GMPV ECS Campfires – 16th Edition

EGU GMPV ECS Campfires – 16th Edition

After a short winter break, the Geochemistry, Mineralogy, Petrology and Volcanology division’s early career scientists talks (EGU campfires) are back! The first session in 2022 (and 16th overall) will be a general format event. The talks will be held on Wednesday 16th February at 4pm CET on Zoom. Our four speakers are: Barbara Bonechi (PostDoc @ Sapienza University of Rome, Italy) – High pre ...[Read More]

Volcanoes and Wines, Part 2

Volcanoes and Wines, Part 2

  And here we go, with the second part of “Volcanoes and Wines”! In Part 1 blog post we introduced you to the inevitably bond between wine and geology, with a focus on volcanic areas and minerals. We are sure we left you with a taste of volcanic soil in your mouth, wondering where you can savour red and white glasses of wine at the foot of a volcano. Today we introduce you to some unusual and ...[Read More]

Rare Earth Elements…..in olivine?

Rare Earth Elements…..in olivine?

The Rare Earth Elements, or REEs, are really important. This is a group of elements including neodymium (used to create strong magnets), cerium (used in catalytic converters), lanthanum (used in electric car batteries), lutetium (used in oil refinery), with the uses of REEs increasing continuously. At the moment, the majority of the world’s supply of REEs comes from a single deposit in Inner ...[Read More]